MK summary June 2013_Layout 1 19/06/2013 17:12 Page 1

Electoral review June 2013

Final recommendations on the new electoral arrangements for Summary Borough Council

Who we are: Council size Electoral arrangements The Local Government The Commission recommends Our final recommendations Boundary Commission for that Milton Keynes Council should propose that Milton Keynes’ 57 is an independent be represented by 57 councillors councillors should represent 19 body which conducts in future: six more than the three-member wards across the electoral reviews of local current arrangements. borough. authority areas. We consider that a council size of The Commission believes its final 57 will ensure the council can recommendations meet its discharge its roles and obligations - which are set out in Electoral reviews: responsibilities effectively and will law - to: The purpose of an electoral provide for a pattern of wards that ■ Deliver electoral equality for review is to decide on the reflects community identities voters. across Milton Keynes. appropriate electoral ■ Reflect local community arrangements – the number interests and identities. of councillors, the names, ■ Promote effective and number and boundaries of convenient local government. wards – for a local authority.

Why Milton Keynes? We are conducting an View the recommendations in detail at: consultation.lgbce.org.uk electoral review of Milton Read the full report and maps at: www.lgbce.org.uk Keynes Council to deliver improved levels of electoral equality for local voters.

Milton Keynes currently has Stage of review Description high levels of electoral 8 May 2012 Public consultation on council size inequality so that the value 24 July 2012 Submission of proposals for new warding of your vote - in council arrangements elections - varies depending on where you live in the 16 October 2012 Commission analysis of submissions and borough. formulation of draft recommendations 22 January 2013 Publication of draft recommendations and consultation on them 19 March 2013 Commission analysis of submissions and formulation of final recomendations MK summary June 2013_Layout 1 19/06/2013 17:12 Page 2

Central Milton Keynes The Commission therefore member wards and the division of As part of the Commission’s draft confirms its draft recommendations parishes between borough wards. recommendations, we proposed a for this area as final. Given the fact that Milton Keynes uniform pattern of three-member is a wholly parished borough, it is wards in the centre of Milton The Commission’s draft inevitable that some parishes, Keynes. These included the three- recommendations proposed a such as , will be split member wards of , uniform pattern of three-member between two or more wards in & Fishermead, Central wards for the Bletchley area. In order to deliver electoral equality Milton Keynes and particular, we proposed Bletchley for voters. & . West, Bletchley Park and On balance, the Commission We received 67 submissions in Bletchley East wards. believes its draft recommendations support of our proposed Campbell The focus of objections to the strike the best balance between Park & Old Woughton ward. recommendations in this area its statutory criteria and we Respondents argued that the was that they split the central therefore confirm them as final. draft recommendations bring Bletchley area between wards. together communities along the West Milton Keynes route of the . The Commission considered the The Commission’s draft proposals alternative configurations of for this part of the borough We received eight submissions wards put forward during proposed the following three- which opposed our draft consultation but concluded that member wards: Bradwell, recommendations in this part of the draft recommendations Loughton & Shenley, Shenley Milton Keynes including an provide the best reflection of the Brook End, , alternative pattern of wards put Commission’s statutory criteria, in Tattenhoe and . forward by Iain Stewart MP. particular in relation to delivering We have carefully considered the The Commission gave careful high levels of electoral equality for evidence received. Although some consideration to Mr Stewart’s local voters. community evidence was provided submission but did not believe it We therefore confirm our draft in support of a two-member ward justified a move away from our recommendations in the Bletchley for Stony Stratford, we are not draft recommendations. In area as final. persuaded to depart from a particular, we were not persuaded uniform pattern of three-member that the proposed & East Milton Keynes The Commission’s draft wards. The Commission has also Walton ward would provide strong decided to retain the brook which community identity. Similarly, the recommendations for east Milton Keynes proposed three-member runs around a quarter of a mile to proposals were contingent on the the north west of the A421 as a creation of a single-member ward wards called Broughton, Monkston and Danesborough & Walton. boundary for Bletchley West ward for the area. The which has a substantial impact on Commission did not feel that the In this part of the borough, the the viability of the rest of the evidence submitted to it justified a Com mission pa rticularly considered alternative proposals. move away from the uniform submissions that supported a pattern of three-member wards. si ngle-member Danesborough ward . The Commission therefore confirms its draft recommendations The Commission also received an However, the Commission noted as final for West Milton Keynes. alternative warding scheme for tha t a si ngle-mem be r Danesborough this part of the borough from the ward would have 36% more What happens next? Milton Keynes Labour Party. The voters per councillor than the We have now completed our alternative scheme proposed average for Milton Keynes. review of Milton Keynes. significant changes to the The Commission therefore Commission’s recommendations. The recommendations must now confirms its draft be approved by Parliament. A draft The Commission carefully recommendations as final. considered the Labour Party’s order - the legal document which proposals but, on balance, was not North Milton Keynes brings into force our Our draft recommendations persuaded that they justified a recommendations - will be laid in proposed three-member wards move away from the draft Parliament. Subject to parliamentary called South, recommendations. For example, scrutiny, the new electoral Newport Pagnell North & we noted that the Commission had arrangements will come into force and Olney. received support, on the basis of at the local elections in 2014. shared community identity, for the Responses during consultation The full report and maps are focused on objections from parish proposed Campbell Park & Old available at: www.lgbce.org.uk councils to a pattern of three- Woughton ward. and: consultation.lgbce.org.uk